Published in the Observer/Enterprise July 23, 1993 by Frankie Beth Williams

William the Conqueror brought an Aide-de-Camp named Wilhelm Hickman to the British Isles and awarded him a Shire for his services. His descendants came onto the new world in the early 1600s. The emigrant Nathaniel, born 1600 in England, Nathaniel Jr., Thomas, Edwin the Rev. War hero, Lt. William, William Jr., John Hickman and others formed a rich tapestry woven from land, census, military and state records from Maryland, Virginia, the Carolinas, Georgia, Arkansas and Texas, the places where the Hickman have lived.

The Hickman name was once one of the twenty-five most common surnames in the US.

Nathaniel Hickman of Northumberland Co. brought his wife Avis? to Virginia in 1653 according to the list of Early Virginia Immigrants .

Nathaniel probably came from Oxford shire, England. The Hickman family in England traces back to Bloxham, where many centuries of Hickman are buried.

Bloxham is about six miles NW of Oxford. According to the historian Samuel Eliot Morison, the earliest Virginians, of which Nathaniel would have been one, were almost entirely Oxford graduates or former students.

Nathaniel's first plantation in Virginia was in the county that lies alongside the Chesapeake Bay where it meets the Atlantic. Nathaniel the younger had a plantation in the county immediately to the west, or Westmoreland County. Nathaniel's son Thomas had a 1200- acre plantation east of Richmond. Both Nathaniel's moved inland, probably as a result of tobacco wearing out their land, as it was notorious for doing. Careful reading of Nathaniel's last will and testament makes me think Avis died quite awhile before he did, and that he remarried. "Other" children referred to in the will could have been by a second wife.

Lineage from Genealogies of Virginia Families from the William and Mary College Quarterly Historical Magazine Vol. 3 Published by Genealogical Publishing Co. 1982

Nathaniel Hickman patented land in Northumberland county in 1653, and his will was proved Jan. 20, 1653. He names issue: 2 Thomas, 3 Diana, 4 Nathaniel, Jr.

2 Thomas Hickman patented land in 1654, married Mary, who joined in a deed recorded in Northumberland in 1667. He had probably 5 Thomas Hickman.

5 Thomas married Martha Thacker, daughter of Capt. Henry Thacker and Eltonhead Conway, on Dec. 18, 1683, they probably had 6 Richard, clerk of the Virginia Council, whose will was proved in York county in 1731, and names siblings 7 Elizabeth (wife of Pascal Greenhill of Amelia County); 8 Thomas, 9 Henry, 10 Edwin, 11 Lettice.

10 Edwin was one of the first justices of Albermarle County (1744) married Elender, and had issue, named in his will dated February 4, 1758, 12 James, 13 Edwin, 14 Richard, 15 William, 16 Thomas, 17 Susanna, 18 Lettice, 19 Martha.

13 Edwin was grandfather of Gen Richard Hickman of Kentucky.

Throughout, the Hickman's have been community leaders. (Richard Hickman was Clerk of the Virginia Council during the period when "King" Carter was amassing his huge land empire, and Richard had to be involved in those dealings. ) See The Virginia Dynasties by Clifford Dowdey Bonanza Books 1969.

Our line of Hickman eventually left Virginia for North Carolina.

Edwin Hickman, Sr. b. 9 August 1762 Culpepper Co. VA, d. 7 Sept. 1857 Stokes Co., NC, m. Patey Isbell, b. 12/26, 1762, d. June 15, 1850, April 10, 1783. NC Census 1800 shows Edwin Hickman in Stokes Co. NC 557. During the time the Hickman were in Stokes Co. NC, there were several marriages between the Hickman and the Hampton. According to the census data, they lived very close together.

As a resident of Surry Co., NC (in a part that became Stokes Co. at a later date), Edwin Hickman served as a private in the Revolutionary War during the following tours of duty:

June 1780, he enlisted for three months in Capt. Absalom Bostick's Company and Col James Martin's NC Regiment; He rendezvoused at old Richmond, then the county seat of Surry, and from there marched to Salisbury in Rowan County. From there to Phipers Mill, then he marched and served Gen. Rutherford's brigade near Beaties ford on the Catawba, then back to Salisbury where he remained for a few days. He then marched to the trading ford on the Yadkin, returned to Salisbury, and then remained between ten and fifteen days. From Salisbury he marched southward and having been sick on the route was left in care of a William Bluman. He was in active service for eight weeks previous to his illness. He was disabled from his sickness for five or six weeks. This tour was for three months. In the spring of 1781 he served four weeks in Capt. James Gaine's Company. During the fall of 1781 he served three months in Capt. Humphries's Co. in Col. James Martin's NC Regiment. This company was attached to the command of Gen. Pickens. During this campaign he was in the battle against the British at Alamance in Guilford County. he was also in an engagement at Whitesell's Mill on the Reedy River, also in Guifford Co. In the above tours Joseph Winston was his major. Ref: File Designation #S-8712; B.L.Wt. #15411-160-55. State Records, NC Rev. War Pensioners, page 68: "Allotted forty two pounds seven shillings six pence... Board of Auditors 31 July 1782.

Another account of Edwin's war record is as follows (Both are shown, as there are differences)

HICKMAN, Edwin, Sr. S8712 NC BLWt. 15411-160-55

[Note: There are apparently two Edwin Hickman's - the private soldier born 9 Aug. 1762 and Capt. Edwin Hickman, a brother of Thomas Hickman. Thomas was born 15 Oct. 1762 and could not have had a brother born in August of the same year. Perhaps these men were cousins.]

Declaration of Edwin Hickman - 15 Dec. 1832 - Stokes Co., NC -

Edwin was aged 70 years on 9 August last. Edwin Hickman entered the North Carolina militia as a drafted soldier for three months under Capt. Absalom Bostick in June 1780. He rendezvoused at old Richmond, then the county seat of Surry, and from there marched to Salisbury in Rowan County. From there to Phiper's Mill, then he marched and served Gen. Rutherford's brigade near Beaties ford on the Catawba, then back to Salisbury where he remained a few days. He then marched to the trading ford on the Yadkin, returned to Salisbury, and then remained between ten and fifteen days. From Salisbury he marched southward and having been taken sick on the route was left in care of a William Bluman. He was in actual service for eight weeks previous to his illness. He was disabled from his sickness for five or six weeks. This tour was for three months.

In spring of 1781 Edwin served a tour of four weeks under Capt. Gaines or Capt. Cloud and received the enclosed discharge from Capt. Gaines.

Edwin Hickman also stated he served a six week tour under Captains Gaines and Cloud. This company was attached to the command of Gen. Pickens. During this campaign he was in a battle against the British at Alamance in Guilford County. He was also in an engagement at Whitesell's Mill on the Reedy fork of Haw River, also in Guilford County. In the above tours Major Joseph Winston was his major.

In fall of 1781 Edwin Hickman served a tour of three months under Capt. Humphries in Gen. Rutherford's Brigade and in Col. James Martin's regiment. His discharge from his captain and Col. Martin is given in the reference.

He served a tour of two or three weeks under Capt. Gaines, whose company was attached to the command of Major Smith and Col. William Shepperd.

Edwin Hickman stated he was born in Culpeper Co., VA, on August 9, 1762. When he first entered service, he was living in Surry County and is now living in Stokes County (and has since 1789). He is known to John Venables and Joshua Cox, Sr.

Declaration of Edwin Hickman - 20 Apr. 1855 - Stokes Co., NC -

Edwin Hickman was a private in Capt. Absalom Bostick company in the regiment of North Carolina militia commanded by Col. James Martin. He makes this declaration to receive bounty land.

Original discharges in file

June 24, 1781 signed by James Gains, Capt.

Sept. 23, 1781 Signed by James Gaines Capt.

Nov. 15, 1781 signed by David Humphries Capt. & James Martin, Col.

Mentioned in William Southern file.

It was to Edwin Hickman that Harold Kelley traced his linage back to a Revolutionary soldier and by proving this was admitted to membership in the Sons of the American Revolution.

MARIA ELENDER CHILDS HICKMAN

Elender was born April 2, 1804 in North Carolina; died 1858. Married Alexander Hampton October 9, 1823 in Stokes County, NC. She was the daughter of Edwin Hickman and Patey Isbell.

Her name appears in both the Hampton and Hickman bibles. There is some confusion about her name as there are names written by several people. It is unclear whether her name was Eleanor, Elender, or Elionor and if she had two or three given names. A copy of the handwritten records in Edwin Hickman's bible are shown in the Journal of Surry County Genealogical Association Vol 12, Book 1, Feb. 1992 p. 9-13. The original writing appears to be Elionor Hickman b. April 2, 1894. Then there are two additions in different handwriting. Before Eleanor appears to be Maria and between Eleanor and Hickman appear a capital C. In the Hampton bible she appears as Mary Eleanor Childs. There is no question that all of these are the same woman, so it doesn't matter that there is some confusion. Here is a reproduction of the Bible entry for Maria Eleanor C. Hickman's birth: The Maria is by a different hand and the C. could be by a third hand stuck in between Eleanor and Hickman. We are fairly sure that the C. stands for Childs. I have used Maria Elender Childs Hickman.